


December 11

by VR_Trakowski



Series: Advent 2015 [11]
Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: Advent Calendar, F/M, Ficlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 06:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5406461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VR_Trakowski/pseuds/VR_Trakowski
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Breakfast and an invitation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	December 11

**Author's Note:**

> Explanation [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5333558).

“You were a natural with those kids the other day,” Jupiter said, cautiously flipping another pancake.  “Where’d you learn to babysit?”  

Caine paused in setting the table to give her the slightly confused look he used when his translator implant choked on a term.  “Baby...sit?”  

Jupiter snickered.  “Um.  Take care of small children.”  

“Oh.”  Caine set down a fork, lining it up precisely next to the plate.  “I didn’t.”  

It was Jupiter’s turn to be confused, and she had to remind herself to keep an eye on the pancake.  “No?  I mean, I’m not surprised, it’s not your...thing, but most people with no experience don’t know how to handle little kids.”  

“I’ve had experience with them,” Caine said, and she could see his lips curling up.  “I just wasn’t taught it.”  

Jupiter folded her arms and raised a brow, and he gave in.  “Peri II or III, I don’t remember...we won, but there were refugees.  Lycantants tend to be good with children, it’s the pack instinct.  We were broken out of our squads to help.”  

Jupiter felt her heart melt a little more.  “That’s _adorable_.  Good to know.”  

“Your food is burning,” Caine pointed out gently, and she squawked and spun back to the stove.  

It was while they were eating that Caine returned to the subject.  “Your set of winter holidays focus on children a lot, don’t they?”  

Jupiter shrugged and pushed the syrup bottle towards him--he loved sweet things and she was deeply envious of his metabolism.  “Christmas does, I guess, yeah.  Why?”  

“I’m still assimilating the concept.”  Caine folded his pancake in half.  “You enjoyed it when you were a child?”  

“Oh, sure.”  Jupiter thought back, and had to qualify that a little.  “We didn’t always get what we asked for, I mean there wasn’t a lot of money and little kids have unrealistic expectations, but it was always _fun_.  Aunt Nino would even take us to see Santa.”  She grinned a little.  “Vladie usually chickened out, though.”  

Caine seemed to catch that idiom, because his answering smile wasn’t at all nice.  “I’m not surprised.”  

Jupiter chortled.  “The family will probably do a holiday dinner during Hanukkah, but like I said we’re not very observant.  There’ll be lots of traditional foods, though.  Wanna come?”  

“If your Majesty pleases,” Caine said gravely, though his eyes crinkled.  Jupiter poked him.  

“Her Majesty pleases for you to make up your own mind,” she said lightly.  “I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want you to come.”  

Caine nodded.  “I would be honored.”  

Jupiter nodded back, and leaned over to kiss him.  He tasted like syrup, and an idea tickled the back of her mind, Christmas and food and Hanukkah all tangling together.  

_I wonder…_  


End file.
